Soulmate
by laksanabayushiryuu
Summary: Take a look when certain hopeless romantic who believed in oh so called soulmate, met a long haired beauty coincidentally. Side story of Innocent Encounter. AU. Please read IE first.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Thank you for all of the readers from Innocent Encounter. Now, we will present some side story of several couples. For you who got curious about what happened with Kobungo and Keno, here's the detail. Please kindly do read and review! ( ´ ▽ ` )

Chapter 1 : The Beginning

Morning.

Birds were chirping happily. The sun was giving its ray to earth. People started to fill the street. Children were going to school together. Adults were going to work. That was what usually happened in the morning, but not for one certain man.

Inuta Kobungo was not a morning person. When he was still in high school, he always woken up by his mother's screaming or else he would have to take a bath in the bed. After he got accepted in a famous hospitality college abroad, he had to take care of himself. Certainly it included waking up by himself - which he found to be difficult at the beginning because he got used to his mother's screaming. But still until now, he was not a morning person.

Kobungo groaned while trying to shield his eyes from sunray that was peeking from the window. Turned to his right, he reached for his phone. The screen showed that it was still 7 A.M. Kobungo scrutinized his eyes, tried to get a better view. Still, his phone showed the same screen. He groaned again then put his left arm over his eyes. How he wished he didn't have to face another day with this kind of feeling. He reminisced about what happened the day before.

The first time he set his sight on that person, he thought that his heart had stopped beating. Long silky light brown hair donned in low pony tail, high cheekbones, straight jaw and nose. With just a glance he knew that kind of beauty was rare. Unfortunately he lost his chance to know that beautiful person because of some problem in the kitchen. That put him on edge because he didn't know whether he had another chance to find that person or not. With that thought in mind, he decided to drown his sorrow with some drinks when his bestfriends, the Inukawa twins, asked him to meet at a bar their late mother owned. Apparently that plan was a failure because he didn't even touched the drink in front of him, drowned in his own world. When he heard Kokonoe's voice, he decided not to be rude by greeting her. With that came his second chance. That beautiful person was standing right behind Kokonoe. This time he got a full view of her. Again he was captivated by her beauty, he thought that she was more beautiful than before. Those plump lips looked so kissable. He decided to not let this chance slipped away again. He stood up and grasped her hands tightly, right away asked her to have some drink with him.

Only to find that apparently she was a he. In a hardway too.

Kobungo lifted both of his hands, staring at it. When he grasped those hands, he felt some sparks from the touch. Even after he knew that she, no, he, was indeed a man, the sparks didn't come off. 'Hell, I've been straight for 22 years of my live, how can I felt sparks from touching another guys' hands? Not to mention that kind of spark was different from what I felt when I was with all of my ex. Is it him? My soulmate?' He thought bitterly. He clenched his hands tightly.

"Fuck! What am I supposed to do?!" Kobungo screamed in his dimly lit room, his punch bounced on his bed.

After he took a cold shower to clear his mind, Kobungo wore dark green shirt with a pair of black slacks, then he brushed his hair a little, tied his usual running shoes -he was not a fan of leather pointy one- and went for his workplace. At this season, he would be busy because it was nearing Golden Week, the most wanted holiday in spring. He sighed loudly. Apparently cold shower was not working because he still remembered that event clearly. The silky light brown hair, the lingering touch, even the spark. Damn it, get a hold of yourself Kobungo! He chided himself while groaning and scratching the back of his neck. His attitude made his staffs gave him weird looks. Even at the kitchen, he took deep breath and sighed so many times that other chef asked him whether he got sick and needed to take a break. He just grinned a little, saying that he was fine, just not gotten enough sleep. But at some point, he made a beginner's error by putting wrong ingredients in the food. This earned him a slap on the back from his sous chef and he was kicked out from the kitchen to cool off his head. Again he sighed deeply and scratched the back of his neck then decided to wander around a little bit. He changed his chef uniform and went out from the restaurant. He needed to let out some of the steam inside his head.

It was getting late. Kobungo checked his watch and it was already 7 P.M. Time really flew fast when your mind was not at the right track. He let his feet took him wherever it wanted to go on impulse. Man, he had to get himself together again. He looked up to the dark sky littered by some stars. Well, it was rare to see stars in the city. The sky had to be very clear to get a better view. He sighed deeply then looked down the pavement. Okay, now if that person was truly his destined one, then he had to make some move, didn't he? But what about his family? He was the sole heir of Inuta family who owned one of the biggest hospitality chain in Japan. Undoubtedly he was expected to marry some fine girl and continue the family line. What would his parents say about this? That person, Asakeno if he was not mistaken, was definitely an epitome of beauty not even a real girl had nowadays. Unfortunately he didn't have XX pair of chromosomes. More importantly, did Asakeno swing that way? Did he, Inuta Kobungo, swing that way too?

"Man, this is kinda hard. What am I supposed to do? No way I ask Pops or Ma 'bout this." He muttered under his breath. The noise around him suddenly changed. He looked up in front of him when realization hit him hard. What in the earth was he doing in this famous bar and host club area?

* * *

At night, this place was very lively because it was opening time for most of the shop within this area. Kabukicho. Heaven on earth for pleasure seekers with no attachment nor commitment. There was the place for everyone who wanted to find anything they desired within certain price. In front of a line of host club stood a tall young man with light brown hair donned in low ponytail. He was wearing a complete set of modern suit with a pair of leather shoes. A seductive smile was plastered on his face. Every women and even some men who passed that store stopped for a while to bask in that person's beauty. Yes, even though he was a man, no doubt everybody would say that he was beautiful.

The said person took some steps towards a young woman around her midtwenties who stopped right in front of him. The seductive smile was still plastered on his face. Perfect, this woman will be tonight's deal. He took out a red rose from his pocket then gave it to the woman who literally swooned by that gesture. "Will you grace our place with your presence, Hime-sama(1)?" He whispered in her right ear with his hushed, tenor voice. The young woman just stood still, dumbfounded, then after several seconds she nodded her head vigorously. He smiled again then took her left hand, hooked it in his right arm while walked inside the host club with a big sign of 'Red Rose' above the main entrance.

That was another daily occurrence -to be precise nightly occurrence - for Asakeno, the number one in Red Rose host club. He had been number one only in just two months after he was accepted in that club. With his feminine beauty and skillful persuasion, he rapidly gained regular customers, men and women. He had a special condition though. He had to pick the customers by himself, literally stood in front of the store, not like other number one in the same area. This condition also got another benefit. The beginners could learn how to attract customers directly from him. That's why the manager agreed with that condition.

Little did he know from the moment he met a certain hopeless romantic, his life was already at a big turning point.

* * *

Kobungo took another step into that area. He absolutely didn't get why he was in that kind of place. It looked like his feet got a nerve to bring him here. He took a glance of his surrounding. So many men and women in luxurious clothes were loitering around. He looked down at his clothes, felt a little bit out of place. Wait, why the heck he had to care about his choice of clothing right now? He didn't want to go to this area in the first place. He decided to turn back when suddenly a glimpse of certain light brown haired beauty catched his peripheral vision.

'No way. It can't be...' He thought. He moved forward while shoving around people, earned him some shout of 'hey, watch it dude!' from several men. He didn't notice it because his mind was preoccupied with single thought. Was it really Asakeno? He arrived in front of a store with a big 'Red Rose' letter above it's entrance. Kobungo looked around him once again, tried to comprehend which way did Asakeno headed for. A couple of footsteps and a cough made Kobungo turned his head toward the entrance. There stood the man which he had been looking for, a seductive smile still plastered on his beautiful face.

"Asa..keno," Kobungo muttered. "Why are you..."

His words were stuck on his throat when Asakeno took out a red rose then placed it inside Kobungo's chest pocket. "Will you grace our place with your presence today, Ouji-sama(2)?" Asakeno whispered seductively, his hand still lingered on Kobungo's chest after he finished putting the red rose. Kobungo stood still, he didn't know what to do or what to say. He just complied when he was dragged by Asakeno inside the store.

.

.

tbc.

(1) Hime-sama means princess

(2) Ouji-sama means prince


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : Red Rose

Kobungo was perplexed. The store was literally sparkling. Romantic lighting, clinking sound from Champagne flute sometimes accompanied with giggles, crystal lamps was all over the place. Really, the store was indeed a nice place. Except, this time Kobungo could not appreciate it because he was in a state of internal euphoria. Of course the sole reason was sitting right in front of him, pouring a bottle of Dom Pèrignon to a glass. Why oh why just the movement of his fingers was so full of grace? Kobungo stared at those fingers until the said owner was waving them in front of his face that Kobungo was awoken from his trance.

"What's wrong? You seem spacing out just now?" Asakeno asked with a hint of concern on his face. Kobungo looked up from that hand to meet a pair of light brown eyes that shone brightly. Oh man, how come his eyes could be so beautiful?

"Oh, it's... it's just that...um..." Kobungo stuttered, looked down on his feet because he was not ready to answer the sudden question. He looked up again to see a slight disappointment on Asakeno's face. Oh my, did I say something wrong? Kobungo thought frantically.

"It seems that I'm not to your liking, aren't I? Maybe I should call somebody to be my replacement." Asakeno said then tried to stand up when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist tightly. He was a little bit startled, tried to comprehend this situation. It seemed that he had picked an interesting customer.

"No, I don't need anybody else", Kobungo said looking right into Asakeno's eyes and tried to stop his voice from quivering. "All I need is you." He continued with a finality in his voice. He wished that his heart could not be heard by the long haired beauty because really, it was thumping really hard and fast that it felt like maybe it would explode anytime now. 'Damn you traitorous heart, chill down a lil bit would you?' Kobungo scolded his own heart inside his head.

Asakeno just stood -half stood to be precise- still, he did not know what to say. After a moment of silence suddenly a sincere smile was formed on Asakeno's face. "As you wish, Oujisama." he said then took his seat again beside Kobungo who gulped nervously.

The conversation was dominated by Kobungo's failed attempt to start a topic and Asakeno found it funny to the point he had to stifle a laugh. In the end, they just sipped the drinks and Asakeno started asking about trivial matters like age, family, hobbies, type of reading material, until one question that came out from Kobungo's mouth...

"I thought you work at La Lune?"Kobungo asked, curiousity filled his voice.

Asakeno frowned a little, then suddenly something clicked on his mind. "Oh, you are Kokonoe-san acquaintance. You could say that Kokonoe-san was my benefactor. She saved me when I was on a hard time. That's why I help her sometimes."

"So why did you choose this job, Asakeno?" Kobungo asked innocently. Asakeno was shocked, his drink almost got spilled if he did not have that elegance within him. Nobody ever asked this question because it was kind of taboo for customer -especially his customer- to ask about something that personal. Kobungo just stared at him with a confused look because Asakeno did not response.

"Well, it was because I have to earn a living of course", He answered while twirling the drink in his glass. "Why, am I not good enough for it?"

"No, of course not!" Kobungo cut in quickly. "Umm, it's just that somehow you should be work at someplace much better than this. I mean not that being a host is a bad thing though, but you could aim higher like being a celebrity or something like that." He continued, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Asakeno was taken aback with that statement. Nobody ever said something like that before. Asakeno inhaled deeply, usually he would dismiss that kind of question but somehow he did not mind it this time.

"Well, thank you for your compliment. I do need the money though because of some problem at home. And you're right, I could be an actor right now but some 'technical' problem prevent me from doing so." Asakeno finished his drink in one big gulp then gave Kobungo a smile, but somehow it felt a little bit bitter.

"If I were you I would still try." Kobungo said with a big grin on his face. Asakeno just stared at his customer without blinking. Then a light laughter was erupted from him. Really, this customer was indeed very interesting.

* * *

Asakeno was shifting around on his locker when a bald bespectacled man wearing a suit entered the room. He took fast steps toward Asakeno then suddenly, he pulled him into a bear hug.

"Asakeno-chan, how could you do this to me? I miss you so much~" That man asked while sobbing frantically into Asakeno's shirt. Asakeno was baffled for a moment then lazily rolled up his eyes. Seriously, how melodramatic this guy could be? He put both of his hands on the man's shoulder to give some distance between them. He sighed loudly then continued rummaging through his locker.

"Seriously, Sakuraba-san. Please stop that kind of overly dramatic attitude." Asakeno said in monotone then glanced to his side. That man, Sakuraba Jouji, stood there with a wide smile, wiping away the remnant of his (fake) tears with a handkerchief.

"Hey, don't say that me, young man. I'm still your elder and manager after all." He replied in mocking hurt filled voice, chewing the handkerchief. The long haired man just shrugged it off. "Then, what is it that you need now, Manager?" He said while packing some stuff into his bag.

"Well, I presume that today you got an interesting customer, didn't you? A tall handsome brown haired man with big hands." Sakuraba said then took a seat behind Asakeno. "Do you know who is him?"

Asakeno frowned. 'Why did he have to give attention on how big that man's hand is?' He thought, zipped his bag then closed his locker. "Yeah, his name is Inuta . Apparently he works as a chef in a restaurant around Shinjuku. End of story." He turned around to face Sakuraba.

"Does Inuta ring some bells?" Sakuraba said with a smile on his face. Asakeno frowned again. "No." He answered in a bored tone. Sakuraba stared at him for a moment then suddenly grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him. "That's no good, Asakeno-chan! Listen to me carefully, 'k? That man, Inuta Kobungo, is the sole heir of Inuta family who own one of he biggest hospitality chain in this country. His height is around 6 feet, weight 140 pounds, B-W-H measurement 80-60-70, shoe size 43. He studied abroad in Switzerland majoring in culinary. After that he opened an Italian restaurant called Felicità in Shinjuku. Ahh, what a fine piece of a man~" Sakuraba finished his speech, clasped his hands together with a dreamy stare.

Asakeno just stood there with a blank stare. 'How the heck he got that kind of information? What is he, a damn stalker?' He let out a long sigh and rested his back on the locker's door. "Then? What am supposed to do with that 'fine man'? He was just a customer."

Sakuraba sent a harsh glare to Asakeno, made him a little bit creeped. "No, no, no. Don't you see it, Asakeno-chan? He had those eyes directed at you. Don't you realize it?" He wiggled his forefinger in front of Asakeno's face. Asakeno just gave him a confused stare. "Sorry, I really don't get it. What do you mean with those eyes?"

Sakuraba grabbed Asakeno's face tightly. "He has fallen for you Asakeno-chan. Hard."

Asakeno just stood still with a blank face. Then he laughed very hard while holding his stomach. "Seriously, Sakuraba-san. I thought you will say that I'm supposed to be aware of him or something like that. That was.. hilarious. Every customer has fallen for my face after all." He said wiping away some tears because of his laughter.

Sakuraba shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no. You're the one who doesn't get it. He thought that you are his true love. I know that kind of eyes." He said while fixing his glasses. He walked toward the door then stopped beside Asakeno. "Just think about it, Asakeno. Don't let it slipped away because I know you felt some sparks with him. You had that looks when you're with him." He gave a pat on Asakeno's shoulder then left the room.

Asakeno let out a long sigh. Just how many times he had sighed today? It would ruin the beauty, some people said. He took out something from his pocket then stared at the business card in his hand.

_'Call me if you have time.'_

Asakeno sighed for the umpteenth time.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : Dinner

The next morning Kobungo woke up with a slight headache. He blinked once, twice, thrice, trying to remember previous event. Apparently he ended up drinking more than his usual capacity because of nervousness. He remembered that they were having a conversation then Asakeno had helped him getting into the taxi. After that was just a series of blur image. That's why I slept through the night in the genkan, he thought to himself. He got up and walked to the bathroom, sometimes hissing when his head pounded more with each step he took. He was in a dire need of painkiller right now.

After a long hot shower, Kobungo made his way to the restaurant. The pounding in his head had become dull, thanks to ibuprofen. His arrival at the restaurant was announced by the chime of bells and greetings from his staff. He answered their greetings casually then went straight to the kitchen to prepare the menu.

A moment before opening time, Kobungo excused himself to take some fresh air. When he got out from kitchen's backdoor, suddenly his smartphone vibrated. He checked the screen then frowned. Unknown number. He did not remember waiting a call from someone. Pushing the thought aside, he tapped the answer button.

"Hello." He waited a reply, but none came. Maybe it's just wrong number. He decided to end the call when he heard a cough then a sweet tenor voice went through the speaker. "Umm, hello. Is this Inuta Kobungo speaking?"

Recovering from his shock, Kobungo quickly replied. "Asakeno, is that you? Why are you calling me? No, more importantly how'd you get my number?" He asked still confused. Asakeno just chuckled. Kobungo scrunched his face -not that Asakeno could see it- in confusion. "Well, I'm sorry if I disturb you Ouji-sama." Kobungo shuddered at the mention of that nickname. He preferred to be called by his real name. "Yesterday you gave me your business card and you said that I could call you when I have time. My timing is not good, isn't it?" Asakeno asked with a hint of disappointment.

"No, no, no, it's perfect. I just decided to take a break now. So, how are you today?" Kobungo then took a seat in the stairs.

"Fine, thank you for asking. How about you? I just want to check because you seemed to be pretty drunk yesterday."

"Yeah, thanks to you I got home safe and sound." Kobungo said with a smile -again, not that Asakeno could see- on his face. Asakeno laughed a little. Man, how that laugh was like music to my ears, Kobungo thought.

"I just helped you getting into a taxi. You should count your safety to the driver instead." Asakeno replied.

"Yeah, you're right. But you still helped in the process so I should thank you too. Umm, how about a dinner at my restaurant? My treat." Kobungo said hopefully.

"You don't have to -"

"No, I insist." Kobungo cut in. "Please."

There was a moment of silence. Kobungo was holding his breath. Shit, why do I feel like making a confession right now? I'm just asking him out on dinner, damn it. Kobungo's inner thought was interrupted when Asakeno said 'yes'. He recovered from his shock then quickly gave the time and ended the conversation with 'see you then'. He stared at his smartphone screen, blinking. Then an ear splitting grin was formed on his face. Oh my, I got a date! Kobungo screamed and did victory dance inside his head. He didn't even heard his staff calling his name when it was already opening time.

* * *

The day after came pretty fast. Kobungo was humming while preparing the main course. He was in a very good mood in the past two days. He already told his hall staff when a certain long haired beauty came, he was to be informed immediately because that person was a special guest. The staff just nodded and giggled because they realized that the special guest was special in a different way.

"Boss, the special guest has arrived." One of the hall staff half yelled into the kitchen. Kobungo stopped stirring the soup then wiped his hand on the napkin.

"Okay, I'm comin. Serve the guest some wine, will ya." Kobungo replied while washing his hands.

"Aye, Sir!" The staff gave a salute then left the kichen. Kobungo took a deep breath then released it with full force. Ok, Kobungo, just relax and take it slow, take it as casual as possible. He was repriminding himself when a pat -a punch to be exact- was landed on his back. Kobungo yelped a little then rubbed his aching back.

"Go get your target boy!" Said one of his senior chef. The other was giving him a thumb up. Kobungo grinned and went straight to the main hall. There, he found Asakeno was sitting at the corner table near a large window, sipping a glass of red wine while browsing the menu.

"My apologies for making you wait long, okyaku-sama (1). How can I be of service tonight?" Kobungo asked in a professional tone. Asakeno looked up from the menu to find Kobungo stood next to the table wearing a complete set of chef uniform. He was a little bit shocked then suddenly he chuckled.

"Oh please, stop with the formality, will you? It doesn't suit you at all." Asakeno said with a smile. Kobungo grinned sheepishly. "Yeah you're right, it's not really comfy."

Asakeno crossed his hand on the table. "So, you're indeed a real chef, aren't you? I thought you're just the owner who learned cooking because you have to do it to run this place."

Kobungo smiled a little. "Yeah, for the first time I thought so too. But in the end I'm doing it because I like to." Kobungo glanced at the opened menu. "So, you need help with the menu?"

"Hmm, it's kinda hard to decide because everything looks appealing," Asakeno flipped the page, "Do you have any suggestion?"

"You want full course or ala carte?"

"I'm kinda hungry right now so full course will be good." Asakeno said. Then suddenly a little rumbling sound could be heard from his stomach. "Oh my, sorry about that." He said embarrassed.

Kobungo just chuckled. "Nah, nevermind. I'll prepare special full course in a minute." Kobungo said then proceeded to take the menu and went back to the kitchen. He didn't forget to ask his staff to give some garlic bread for Asakeno. With a renowned vigor, Kobungo hoped that his cooking would meet Asakeno's taste.

* * *

Asakeno wiped his mouth with a delightful feeling. Kobungo's cooking was really something. To be honest, he was a picky eater. But somehow, the food complimented his taste perfectly like Kobungo had known him from a long time ago. 'So his uniform was not only for a show.' Asakeno thought to himself when suddenly a plate was presented on the table. Asakeno looked up to see that it was Kobungo who delivered the food himself.

"Hope you still have space there. Italian full course won't be complete without a dolce." Kobungo said with a smile.

Asakeno put the napkin back then stared at the food in front of him. It was a cheesecake. "I think I'm already full." Asakeno glanced up to see a slight disappointment on Kobungo's face. "But if you accompany me then I will finish it." Kobungo was brightened up then took the seat across Asakeno. The restaurant was not too crowded so it wouldn't hurt to leave the kitchen for a while. Asakeno took a bite of the cheesecake. It was melting right away inside his mouth. The scent of green tea invaded his nostrils. The amount of sweet was perfect. Asakeno hummed a little.

"So how's it?" Kobungo asked. Asakeno smiled again.

"This is great. Did you make it yourself?" He asked while taking another bite.

"Yeah. Actually I made it the first time I saw you here. But unfortunately you were already gone before I served it to you. I don't know why but at that time you kinda remind me of something like this." Kobungo said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Asakeno stared at his plate. Not only the taste but the decoration was indeed something to see. It was pastel coloured so it was not too shabby but you could see petals of sakura with, dare he said, someone with long hair playing something shaped like shamisen.

"So you're not only a chef but also a pâtissier? What a talent you have there. Your girlfriend must be happy to eat delicious food everyday." Asakeno said.

"Nah, girls won't be happy to get fat with my cooking. Besides, I don't have a girlfriend right now." replied Kobungo with some emphasis on the 'right now' part.

"So that's why you wandered around in Kabukicho?" Asakeno put down the fork, already finished with the cheesecake.

"No, that's not it. I was just trying to cool off my head then I got lost there." Kobungo shook his head fiercely. Asakeno laughed. Sometimes he acted just like a little child, Asakeno thought amused.

"A, anyway, do you have some time the day after tomorrow?" Kobungo asked, still a bit embarrassed, "I have some tickets for art performances but since my friends will be going to a villa for Golden Week so I thought it would be such a waste to not use it."

What a clichè, Asakeno thought. "So basically you're asking me out on a date?"

Kobungo muttered under his breath, looking down while fiddling with his fingers.

"Sorry, I can't hear you well." Asakeno asked again.

"Maa, you can say that." answered Kobungo with slightly louder voice. Kobungo tilted up his head when he heard scraping of the chair against the floor. 'Crap, did I offend him?' Kobungo thought frantically. Asakeno was already standing beside him then leaned down until their head was on the same level.

"Well, it's a date then. Just send me a message about the time and place. Thank you for the food, it was really great." Asakeno whispered on his left ear then made his way to the entrance. Kobungo just remained still on his seat. From the amount of giggles from his staff and whispers from his customers, he was sure as hell that his face was like a boiled lobster right now.

.

.

tbc

(1) okyaku-sama means customer/guest (in polite terms that usually used at hospitality service)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : It's a date!

Kobungo fixed his looks for the umpteenth time. After that dinner he sent a message to Asakeno to confirm the time and place. Now he was standing in front of an art museum where the exhibition was being held, waiting for Asakeno. Even after fussed and freaked in front of the mirror for almost an hour, Kobungo still arrived half an hour before the meeting time. Kobungo checked his watch, noting thatAsakeno was fifteen minutes late. Kobungo let out a long sigh. 'No way I'm being stood up on the first date, am I? At least he should've told me before. But I think Asakeno ain't that kinda person.' Kobungo shook his head violently while scratching the back of his head.

"What are you doing, Oujisama?" A sweet tenor voice was heard from his right side. Kobungo looked up to see Asakeno stood with a slightly disheveled look.

"Where've you been? And please stop the 'oujisama' thing already." Kobungo said with a relieved sigh.

"I'm sorry Ou.. I mean Inuta-sama. The train was delayed because of some technical problem so I have to get off one station before here." Asakeno replied slightly out of breath while wiping some sweat from his eyebrows. Kobungo then handed a handkerchief to him. "I assume that you're taking a long way to get here. You must be pretty tired." Kobungo said with a smile. Asakeno took it then murmured a thank you.

"Shall we go then?" Kobungo said then took out the ticket, leading the way to the entrance.

* * *

The art exhibition was varied from painting to sculpture, mainly from Eastern one. The exhibition was held for three days and today they got to see the main event, which was Japanese traditional performances. Kobungo and Asakeno were walking out from the main hall after a Kabuki performance.

"That was a great performance. What was the story called again?" Kobungo asked while browsing a leaflet they got from the entrance.

"Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura," Asakeno said, looking around at the Japanese painting section. "It was about Minamoto no Yoshitsune who fled away from his brother, Yoritomo. Yoshitsune traveled with his mistress Shizuka and loyal retainer Benkei in search of three Taira generals who escaped justice at the end of the war whom he believes may pose a threat to his brother which was the Shogun at that time."

"You sure know a lot about this kinda thing, eh?" Kobungo said a little bit surprised because only 'Journey of Yoshitsune' was written on the leaflet.

Asakeno chuckled. "You could say that I have some experience with this kind of thing." Suddenly Asakeno stopped in front of a painting then stared at it. Kobungo followed his line of vision. The painting was called 'The Performer' which shown a person with long hair was wearing a Noh mask while dancing on a stage.

"Keno, is that you?" A high pitched voice was heard from their left side. The turned their head. There was a girl with short black hair that reached her shoulder that walked to their direction. A brown haired guy slightly taller than Asakeno was following behind her.

"Rena... Kei..." Asakeno said stiffly. He gripped his fist tightly when both of them was approaching. Kobungo was confused with this reaction.

"I really didn't expect to meet you in this kind of place. What a coincidence!" the girl said with enthusiasm. She was smiling brightly but somehow Kobungo felt there's something off with her.

"Yeah, me too." he replied.

"How are you, Keno?" The guy asked to Asakeno.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking. How about you two?"

"We're good." The girl butted in. "It's been a long time, isn't it? Four years just fly so fast. This environment sure brings back memories." At this line Asakeno smiled albeit forced. The girl took notice of Kobungo's presence. "Who is this, Keno? Your friend?"

"Ah, this is-"

"I'm sorry for being rude. My name is Inuta Kobungo. Nice to meet you." Kobungo cut in then gave a bow.

"Oh, nice to meet you too. Inuta? Sounds similar with Inusaka. We're Keno's highschool friend. This is Tanaka Kei," The girl said while the guy gave a nod. "And I'm Kaneda Rena. Well, not for long though." She finished the introduction with a giggle.

"What do you mean?" Asakeno asked a little bit confused. The girl smiled -dare Kobungo said, triumphantly- then lifted her left hand. There was a golden ring with diamond sitting on her left ring finger.

"We're getting married next month." She said proudly, linking her right arm with her supposed fiancée's arm. Asakeno remained silent for a minute, blinking for a few times then fisted his hands tightly.

"Congratulation is in order then." He said while maintaining a rather blank face. Kobungo glanced at his side, musing about what kind of emotional turmoil was happening behind that blank façade.

"We will send the invitation to your current address. Do you still live at your parent's house?" The guy, Tanaka Kei, asked.

"I'm not living with them anymore." Asakeno answered. He searched something inside his pocket, finally took out the handkerchief that Kobungo handed to him before. He grabbed a pen from nearby person, muttered 'please lend me this for a while', then wrote something on the handkerchief, gave back the pen to the said person with a thank you and brief smile -which made that person swoon- and finally handed the handkerchief to that guy.

"You can send the invitation to that address, it's my current workplace." Asakeno looked at his watch. "Sorry, but we have to go now. Again, congratulation." He said while pulling Kobungo at the arm then left the confused couple.

* * *

They went inside a café near the art exhibition. The taste of the food was just so-so but it was better than nothing. Kobungo sipped his vanilla milkshake, glanced at Asakeno whom ate silently.

"You have something to say, don't you?" Asakeno said after finshed his meal. Kobungo put down his milkshake.

"I thought it's you who have something to say." Kobungo stirred his milkshake a bit. "But if you don't wanna talk 'bout it then I won't pester anymore."

Asakeno let out a long sigh, "I don't know where to start."

"You can start with your name. She said something similar to my family-"

"Inusaka." Asakeno filled in. "My real name is Inusaka Keno. Asakeno is just my stage name." Kobungo felt he had heard something about Inusaka before but he could not recall it so he just dismissed that thought.

"Okay, that was a good start. The couple before, they're your friends?"

Keno smiled bitterly. "Yeah, you could say that. In highschool we're kind of best friends, particularly me and Kei because we have known each other since childhood. But something happened." Keno took a deep breath.

"I assume that something was them being a couple." Kobungo said. Keno just nodded his head weakly.

"Rena and I were in the school drama club. At that time I realized that I, uh, harbored some feelings toward Kei." Keno glanced up a bit, expected to see disgust on Kobungo's face but he found none. "I know that Kei is straight so I planned not to tell him about it. But Rena, who has the same feeling towards Kei, told him about my feeling. That's why I distanced myself from them even though Kei seemed indifferent with that information. And here we are, coincidentally met after graduation four years ago."Keno finished his story.

"So you parted ways not in a good term?" Kobungo supplied.

"You can say so. Rena is a good natured person but when it comes to love, she is kind of... competitive. That's also the reason why she told Kei about my feeling. She felt... threatened because Kei was closer to me than her. So at that time I took some kind of revenge." Keno sighed.

"What did you do?" Kobungo asked after sipped his milkshake.

Keno chuckled a little. "I took all the main actress part until we retired even though I'm a man. That was a low blow, wasn't it?"

Kobungo then laughed. "Damn, you sure took your revenge pretty good. What did you write earlier?"

Realization hit Keno. "I'm sorry I used your handkerchief for something like that. I just want to get away quickly so I wrote the store address. I promise I will buy you a new one."

"Nah, nevermind. It's not like that was the one and only handkerchief that I own." Kobungo waved his hand to dismiss the problem.

Keno smiled. "You always take a good care of me. Thank you, Inuta-sama."

Kobungo blushed a little. "You don't have to. And please, stop calling me with -sama. Just call me Kobungo. And in exchange for the handkerchief," Kobungo said sheepishly. "Can I call you Keno too?" He asked hopefully.

Keno kept silent for a moment. Kobungo thought that he was offending Keno so he opened his mouth to apologize but Keno cut him in.

"Sure you can do, Kobungo." He said with a smile.

.

.

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : Family Meeting

Kobungo was woken up at 5 in the morning, feeling more refreshed even though it was still early in the morning. He didn't expect Keno to be so open about his past. Well, maybe just a little bit but still, they were making a progress, aren't they? Maybe he should start planning the next date. Kobungo's thought was interrupted by ringing tone coming from his smartphone. Who the hell would be calling him at this hour? He lazily reached for his phone on the bedside table. He frowned when he looked at the number.

"Ma? Why're you calling at this hour?" He asked after he tapped the answer button.

"Why can't I call my own son just to talk?" A reply came from the other side.

Kobungo groaned. Definitely there was something behind this call. "Of course you can, but at this hour? There must be somethin good or bad happening."

"Well, you can say that." A chuckle was heard which made Kobungo shivered because that was a bad sign. His mother would let out a chuckle like that when she was up to something. "I heard you was out on a date yesterday. Tall, light brown long hair, a beauty I presume."

There, his mother dropped the bomb. Kobungo stared at his smartphone with wide eyes. How the hell did Ma find out?! He screamed inside his head. "Wha, what are you talking about, Ma?"

"Please, don't deny it. I got that information from a reliable source. Your father also knew."

Holy. Crap.

"What did you say, Kobungo?" His mother asked. Kobungo was awakened from his temporary shock. Apparrently he didn't realize that he had voiced his thought.

"No, nothing." He stuttered a little.

"Hmm. Anyway, the point is we want to meet your date yesterday. Come to dinner tomorrow."

There it went the second bomb. Kobungo sat up on his bed immediately.

"What? But-"

"No excuses boy. Tomorrow 8 p.m sharp." His mother said in a stern voice then hang up. Kobungo stared dumbfoundedly at his smartphone. He sighed then scratched the back of his neck. He was so screwed this time.

* * *

Kobungo decided to tell Keno about his parents request. They met at La Lune because Keno was having his day off at Red Rose and Kokonoe-san needed some help. Keno was laughing very hard when Kobungo told him the story.

"So, basically your parents want.. haha... want to meet your... haha... 'date'?" Keno asked while making quotation gesture. Kobungo sipped his whiskey on the rocks, scowling a little. Keno wiped the glasses on the counter still chuckling.

"Look, the point is I have to bring my supposed to be 'date' to the dinner." Kobungo emphasized on the word 'date'. Keno hmm-ed then put the glasses back on the rack. "And I think my parents thought that my date was a girl."

Keno put the last glass on the rack. "So, bring a girl with you tomorrow."

"Not a chance. They already know the description. I need to bring you." Kobungo said while rolling the glass on his hand.

"Me? A man on top of that? Your parents won't be happy."

"Yeah, I got it. That's why I want you to pose as a girl."

Keno stopped then turned to Kobungo with a disbelieved face.

"Are you kidding me? Because that's not funny at all."

"I ain't joking, Keno. You have experience with woman's role and you're beautiful from the beginning," At this word Keno blushed a little. "So why not?"

"What if your parents find out?"

Kobungo gulped down the rest of his drinks. "We'll think about that later. Now, we have to go shopping."

Then, Kobungo dragged a still confused Keno to buy the necessities.

* * *

Kobungo drove the dark blue SUV -which he rarely used except when he had some stocks for the restaurant- to La Lune where Keno would be waiting after he had finished the needed get up for dinner. He was very nervous because it was the first time he brought someone to family's dinner. Well, he did tell his mom when he had girlfriend but never ever they met his parents before because they were always busy. Now, they suddenly had some spare time and wanted to check on his lovelife. What a great timing, he thought to himself.

He put away those thought when he arrived in front of La Lune. There stood a long haired girl in a side braid who wore a white maxi floral print dress with chiffon blazer and handbag. She was already tall enough so she just wore flat shoes. But, wait a minute! Why the attire looked familiar to him? Kobungo wondered inside when she turned her back toward his direction.

Of course the attire looked familiar because (1) he was the one who bought it, (2) the person who wore it was Keno himself. Kobungo just rendered speechless when Keno realized who was in the car then approached the passenger side. Kobungo just stared at Keno without blinking. Oh my, he even done some make up!

"What's wrong? Do I look weird?" Keno asked while checking his clothes.

Kobungo shook his head vigorously. "No, of course not! You look gorgeous!"

Keno giggled -like a girl, Kobungo noted- then smiled a little. "Shall we go then?" He asked in a sweet voice, his pitch a little bit higher than usual. Kobungo nodded dutifully and drove the car in silence because Keno was thinking about what happened earlier.

(Flashback)

_Keno was in the middle of braiding his hair when suddenly Kokonoe barged in to his temporary room._

_"Oh my, I didn't expect to see you in this... get up," she said while looking up and down. "Do you get some role in a play or something?"_

_Keno finished his braid then reached to his make up set. "Well, let's say that I have to perform this kind of role. Just, not on the stage." He said while applying powder._

_"So you're really captivated by Kobungo, aren't you?" She said with a smirk. Keno rolled his eyes._

_"Nah, I'm just helping him because I have some spare time. Besides, acting is fun."_

_"You have changed, Keno."_

_Keno stopped his hand mid-air. "What do you mean, Kokonoe-san?"_

_"The air around you has been different since you know Kobungo. You're kind of.. happier than when I helped you at that alley. You're very cranky and gloomy after that beating." Kokonoe said while leaning on the door frame._

_Keno continued applying eyeshadow. "I'm no different than usual."_

_Kokonoe straightened up from the doorframe. "I think your compatibility with him is great. Just let it flow and don't mess up too much, okay?" With that said she left the room._

(End of flashback)

"..no, Keno." A hand on his shoulder pulled Keno from his own thought.

"Sorry, I must be daydreaming. Where are we?" He answered then looked around. The car had stopped in front of a fountain across the main entrance to the house -which was big enough to resemble a palace- and suddenly his door was opened by a male servant who bowed at him.

"We have arrived. Let's go inside." Kobungo got out while Keno was being helped by the servant. He took Keno's hand then guided him inside. The house was Victorian styled with big pillars here and there, white color was dominant but there was a little shade of orange so it looked vintage with a touch of modernism. In a single glance Keno knew that all of the furniture and decoration were real deal. They stopped in front of double door where two maids stood before it.

"Welcome home, Young Master." They said in unison then bowed deeply.

"Good evening. Where's my father and mother?" Kobungo replied with a nod.

"They are already inside. Please proceed, the dinner is ready." They opened the door to reveal a dining room. The table was placed right in the center of the room below a chandelier. Six chairs were arranged neatly, two were already ococcupied.

"There you are. We thought you'd be late!" A woman in his mid forties stood up from her chair then aproached them. She was very stylish for a woman in her age.

"Haha, I know how pissed you're if I'm late so I won't dare, Ma." Kobungo said nervously. The lady glanced at Keno's direction.

"So, this beauty was your date yesterday? What's your name, dear?"

Kobungo tried to interfere because they forgot to discuss about how Keno should hold conversation wih his parents, but Keno defeated him.

"Good evening, Inuta-san. My name is Inusaka Keno. I'm sorry if my voice is a little weird because I got a sore throat." Keno replied in that slightly high pitched voice but a little raspy, then he gave a little bow.

"My, my, what a poor kid. Have you taken any medicine? You should eat then. Oh, please tell the cook to prepare the herbal soup. Ko-chan, how could you let your date got sick?" His mother gave Kobungo a stern look. Kobungo just stood still and blinking. He was shocked because (1) he didn't expect Keno to pull that act, (2) his mother called him like a child again, and (3) Keno was giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Oh dear, let them sit first then we talked after the food is served." A low voice was heard from the head of the table. A male in his mid forties sat there. He held air of authority around him but somehow he was not intimidating.

"Oh yes you're right, my husband. Come sit and eat." The lady pulled both of them to their respective seats then asked for the food to be served.

* * *

Dinner went rather smoothly. Keno could handle the conversation very well. They were about to eat the dessert when Kobungo's father asked him to talk for a minute in the balcony.

"What is it, Pops?" Kobungo asked after they reached the balcony.

"You know, Son. Our family was already in hospitality business since your great great grandfather. We've build connection throughout entire Japan." Kobungo was confused. Why suddenly Pops talking 'bout this thing?

"And based on my knowledge, Inusaka family only have a child. And certainly not a girl."

Kobungo's eyes were wide as saucer now. "What? How?"

His father turned towards Kobungo. "We've done several partnership with Inusaka family. Their confectionary was the best at that time. But a horrible incident occurred then their name just vanished. I've met the heir several times. Cute and smart little boy."

Kobungo was speechless. 'Then, Pops and Ma already knew since Keno said his family name?' Kobungo thought, panic was rising inside his head. Suddenly, a hand tapped his shoulder.

"Listen, Son. I don't want to push you to do anything against your will. If you feel that he was the right one for you, just go for it. Your mother and I will always be by your side."

"But, how about the business? The...heir?" Kobungo asked, anxiety was written clearly in his voice.

"Once at a time, Son. Once at a time." He patted Kobungo's shoulder then dragged him inside to enjoy the dessert.

.

.

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 : Soulmate

The next few days was like hell for Kobungo. Well, not for his restaurant's income though. Everyday the seats would always be fully booked, sometimes there was a small queue waiting to be seated. Not that he could complain about. The hellish part was not the crowded customer. It was that he could not get a hold of Keno.

At all.

It was as if the long haired beauty was gone with the wind. No answered calls, no replied text messages. Kobungo even asked his whereabouts to Kokonoe-san and the manager of Red Rose whom excitedly greeted him and blabbering about how happy he was to meet him in real flesh -even involved some gropings- but still, no clue about Keno.

Kobungo sighed again. After dinner he dropped Keno off at La Lune then headed back to his apartment. The drive was silent because both had something preoccupied their mind. The revelation from his father almost shocked him to death but he could face it. He decided to talk about it with Keno later, but now a new problem arised again. Just for how long did he have to endure this kind of situation? He was more or less feeling desperate, maybe even in the brink of depression. He just needed some fresh air right now so he sneaked out from the kitchen and went to the park instead.

'Is Keno okay? He ain't got sick, ain't he? Did I do something wrong the last time we met? Did I misread his signals? I thought he was reciprocating my advances? Am I wrong this whole time?' With that thought circulating repeatedly inside his mind, Kobungo didn't realize that he already wandered to a secluded area in the park. Kobungo did not notice this before he saw a stage with chairs surrounding it. He decided to take a break in one of those seats when a sight, a person to be exact, was standing in the middle of the stage.

"Keno..." he whispered to himself. He was about to call the long haired beauty when suddenly Keno moved his body in a rhythm. He raised his arms while doing intricate pattern, and flexed his fingers. He even took several steps around the stage.

Keno was dancing.

* * *

Keno was savoring this moment on the stage. He came from a pretty much well known family for their lineage in traditional art performance and traditional confectionary business. But since both of his parents were murdered during a robbery when he was graduated from junior highschool and thus made the store went into chaos and bankruptcy, Keno had to tend his own needs. He still remembered the days when his father taught him numerous Japanese traditional art or when his mother brought the afternoon snacks. And now the meeting with his deemed 'long lost bestfriend' from highschool was taking it's toll on Keno, especially where it was connected to his emotion.

His feeling.

His heart.

He remembered the day when he had dinner with Kobungo's family.

(Flashback)

_Kobungo went to the balcony with his father. After he finished the main course, Keno wiped his mouth with a napkin then took a sip of the wine. Bordeaux 2003 sure complimented the main course._

_"You know, dear, I never met Ko-chan's date before." Kobungo's mother said after she finished her meal. "When I heard he got a new date I'm glad because that son of mine is pretty much unlucky at romance. He believed in soulmate, how sappy was that? But I guess it runs in the family though because," she made a whispering gesture, "so does his father."_

_Keno chuckled. "Well, I guess it can't be helped then. But I think the concept of soulmate is kind of...vague."_

_"Yes, you can say that. But, nevermind. I'm happy with his father whom believe in that concept. When you sincerely love a person you won't betray that person so both of you can live happily. I just want him to feel the same happiness with his choice of partner because every person deserves to be happy." She said with a motherly look._

_He just smiled back._

(End of flashback)

Keno could feel those nasty feelings were bubbling inside him. Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. From his supposedly best friends nonetheless. He still felt bitter about it, but inside, he knew he was longing for something else.

To love. And to be loved.

He found that he could do that when he was with Kobungo. Even with their express meeting he knew that Kobungo was the one for him. That thought was scary because he was afraid to lose someone else important in his life, or worse, betrayed by them. He knew from his own experiences that that kind of bond never lasted, at least within his case. That's why he went into a safety measure. He doesn't want to be involved with Kobungo again, cut all the ties between them, and left before that feeling went deeper.

He needed to think it thoroughly, and dancing always made his mind clearer.

* * *

Kobungo was stunned. Keno was moving so gracefully that it rendered him speechless. The slight tilt of his head. The way he bended his arms and legs. The swift movement of his hair. And the most intriguing part was his face. So serene yet full of concentration. Unlike Sousuke, Kobungo was not that into the art, well, except for food anyway. But just from the sight of it, Kobungo knew that Keno was baring his feelings to the world right now. He was in the verge of tears because the most prominent part of it was heartache.

With his eyes still fixed to Keno, unconsciously Kobungo took another step to the side stage then climbed the stairs. Keno was still on his own world when suddenly a pair of strong arms enveloped his waist from behind. Keno was shocked. At first he wanted to elbow this person but the familiar feeling was creeping in his spine. He knew this person. He relaxed his stance, his arms left hanging on his side.

They stayed in that position for another moment when Keno broke the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed being here?" Kobungo asked forlornly. Keno let out a long sigh.

"What do you want?"

"Where've you been?" Kobungo asked back.

"Are we playing twenty questions right now? Cause I don't have time for that." Keno spat back, raising his volume a bit. Kobungo seemed unfazed. He just stood there and tightened his hold on Keno's waist. Keno closed his eyes, basking in the warmth that being provided by Kobungo.

"I'm not playing anything, Keno. I'm seriously worrying about you cause I can't get a hold of you these days. Where've you been?"

"Obviously avoiding you." Keno released Kobungo's hold on his waist then turned around. He was met with a hurtful look from Kobungo and it was hurting him too but he had made this decision. "Look, I'm giving you an easy way out. You are the sole heir of Inuta family, you should get a pretty well-bred princess for a girlfriend and marry her to continue you lineage. Not being with a mere host like me."

"I don't need a pretty well-bred princess. I just need you."

"For god's sake, don't you get it? All this time I was just fooling around with you." Keno almost choked on his own words because he knew how it felt to be stringed around but he had to do it. "Just, just leave me alone and continue with your life."

Kobungo was a little bit shocked to hear that statement coming from Keno. But he already decided that Keno was the last person he would fell for. All or none.

"I ain't continuing my life without you, cause you're the half of my life itself. If you don't want to be with me then I'll wait 'til you do, even it takes forever." Kobungo said with determination. He took a step toward Keno.

"What? Are you a fool? You can't just do that!" Keno said while took another step backward.

"I can. And I will. Why do you even care if you're just fooling with me?" Kobungo asked in a firmer voice and kept advancing forward. For each step Kobungo took, Keno took another backward.

"You don't make any sense. This thing between us won't last lo-"

Keno didn't realize that he had reached the edge of the stage when he took the last step. He was about to fall when suddenly a hand grabbed his left wrist then an arm steadied his body on the waist. Keno put his hands on Kobungo's upper arms. Their close proximity allowed Keno to feel Kobungo's heartbeat and vice versa.

"I'm sure that we will last longer than you ever thought because you're my other half, my soulmate. Even our heart beating at the same rhythm, don'cha think?" Keno listened for a while. Indeed their heartbeat was synchronized that it was heard as one. Keno closed his eyes.

"You don't understand. Your family. My past. It's not-"

Kobungo put his forefinger on Keno's lips, halted the words that coming out from him. Keno opened his eyes then looked up to see Kobungo's face.

"My family is cool, you don't have to worry about it 'cause Pops and Ma already knew about you since the beginning when your parents were still alive." Keno was surprised. His mind tried to collect some memories from his childhood. Indeed, he remembered that he met his father's collegue once or twice, but he didn't expect to meet them nowadays. Especially not when he was falling in love with their son.

"About your past, hell I will make you forget about it 'kay? But let me tell you one thing. If not for your past maybe I won't be with you right now. And I will regret it for the rest of my life." Kobungo said with a smile.

Keno kept his eyes on Kobungo's face, contemplated his words and the situation they were in. He lowered his face again, mumbling something inaudible.

"What did you say?" Kobungo asked while lifting Keno's head on the chin.

"I said how could you be so sappy like this? I'm not a girl." Keno muttered with a blush on his face.

Kobungo chuckled a little. "I know that 'cause I'm a hopeless romantic, ain't I?" He caressed Keno's cheek then lowered his face and kissed Keno's lips. At first Keno was shocked, but after a while he kissed back with a smile.

'Well, I guess I can live with this hopeless romantic.'

.

.

the end.

Thank you for all of your reviews! We will keep this story K-T rated, but maybe in the future we will escalate the rating ^-^ v

What will happen next? Stay tuned for the next story! :)


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